The Mentored Research Academy "R01 Boot Camp" pilot is underway with 40 mentees and 10 coaches.

Hired Victoria Blanc, Ph.D., as Director of the new centralized UMHS Biorepository.

Register Now for April 23 Research Town Hall

The next Research Town Hall will be held on Tuesday, April 23, 2013 from 12:00 - 1:00 PM in Ford Auditorium in the main hospital. A variety of speakers will present on study participant recruitment, including a sneak peek at the newly redesigned UMClinicalStudies.org site, followed by a Q&A session. Clinical and translational research faculty and staff from throughout the university are invited and encouraged to attend.

The Research Town Hall is sponsored by MICHR and the Office of Research in the Medical School. Are you interested? RSVP here.

UMMS Dean's Faculty Research Awards - Deadline: May 1, 2013

The Medical School Dean's Office and the Office of Research are soliciting nominations for these three faculty research awards as part of the UMMS Dean's Award Program. These awards recognize outstanding faculty who demonstrate exceptional accomplishments in research and in the research community. For each award, please refer to the Medical School Dean's Award Program website for the full details, nomination forms, submission process, and a list of previous winners. These awards carry a $5,000 discretionary academic support prize given to the faculty member or group. The recipient or group is also honored at the Dean's Faculty and Staff Awards Banquet held in the Fall.

Distinguished Faculty Lectureship Award in Biomedical Research

This award is the highest honor bestowed by the Medical School upon a faculty member for research in the biomedical sciences. The recipient of this award is an exceptional leader in research, whose landmark contributions are recognized both nationally and internationally. Their contributions are usually linked to pivotal discoveries that have wide-ranging impact for the advancement of scientific knowledge. The recipient of this award also excels in teaching, mentoring, and service to our institution and to their colleagues in the scientific community at large. Nominees must be a full professor with their primary appointment in the University of Michigan Medical School, including faculty from Biomedical Engineering (BME). Junior faculty are not eligible for this award; however, they may be eligible for the Basic Science Research Award. Direct questions to Camille Mrozowski (734-615-8802 or cmrozow@umich.edu).

Basic Science Research Award

This award recognizes a scientist or group of scientists identified as having made outstanding contributions to the Medical School in basic biomedical science research. Nominees must be in the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor, or Assistant or Associate Research Professor in the University of Michigan Medical School, including faculty from Biomedical Engineering (BME). Professors and Research Professors are not eligible for this award. They may be eligible for the Distinguished Faculty Lectureship Award in Biomedical Research. Direct questions to Camille Mrozowski (734-615-8802 or cmrozow@umich.edu).

Clinical & Health Services Research Award

This award recognizes a faculty member or group of faculty members who are identified as having made outstanding contributions to the Medical School in clinical or health services research. Nominees must be faculty of the University of Michigan Medical School. Any rank or track are eligible. Direct questions to Paula van Velden (734-764-2204 or paulavan@umich.edu).

BRCF Holds Successful Technology & Services Showcase

The Biomedical Research Core Facilities (BRCF) had a successful event on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at Palmer Commons. The second annual BRCF Technology & Services Showcase featured special guest speakers Sally Camper, Ph.D.; Charles Burant, M.D., Ph.D.; Henriette Remmer, Ph.D.; and James Cavalcoli, Ph.D. Nearly 40 exhibitors, consisting of BRCF Cores and their partner vendors presented the latest technology and service innovations available in biomedical research. Thanks to all who attended!

New $7.5M Fund for Medical Innovation Research

Announcing the launch of U-M MTRAC for Life Sciences

The Office of Research and its Business Development team recently announced a new $7.5 million fund called U-M MTRAC for Life Sciences that will help medical discoveries make the leap from the laboratory to the market, accelerating their potential to help patients. Funded in part by a new $2.4 million grant from the Michigan Economic Development Corporation's 21st Century Jobs Fund, the new effort will help the U-M Medical School and U-M Tech Transfer identify, nurture and "fast forward" medical research projects with a high potential of commercial success.

Over the next three years, U-M biomedical researchers will be able to apply for translational research funds to help them pursue early-stage "proof of concept" projects with high commercial potential and value. These projects may yield new treatments, medical devices, diagnostic tools and health care information technologies. An oversight committee that will be largely composed of experts skilled in product development, commercialization and tech transfer will review and select proposals for funding.

The other $5 million for the fund comes from commitments of budget funds from the Medical School, the U-M Vice President for Research office, and the U-M Office of Technology Transfer. It's part of the larger Strategic Research Initiative to help U-M medical researchers "fast forward" their discoveries. "The Medical School's co-investment in this important new program will provide yet another resource to help our faculty prepare their research innovations for translation to the market, with the ultimate goal of impacting patient care," says James O. Woolliscroft, M.D., Dean of the Medical School and Lyle C. Roll Professor of Medicine.

Samuel M. Silver, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center, has been elected Chairman of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network® (NCCN) Board of Directors. Dr. Silver was previously Vice-Chairman of the Board. The change in leadership was formalized at the NCCN Board of Directors meeting held in conjunction with the NCCN 18th Annual Conference. "We look forward to Dr. Silver's leadership and to working with him to even further improve the services provided by NCCN, " said Robert W. Carlson, MD, CEO, NCCN.

Dr. Silver is the Assistant Dean for Research and Professor of Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center. A recognized leader in the field of oncology, Dr. Silver was elected a Master of the American College of Physicians for 2013, and specializes in hematology. He is an esteemed member within NCCN, holding several leadership roles, most notably, Chair of the NCCN Governance Committee and member of the NCCN Executive Committee and the NCCN Guidelines Steering Committee.

"I am both humbled and excited to be elected as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the NCCN," said Dr. Silver. "NCCN represents 21 of the world's leading cancer centers, and the clinical and research expertise that this encompasses is truly remarkable. This is an exciting time for the NCCN. The Board has just approved an extensive strategic plan, and over the next few years, we are planning many projects, including electronic point of service deployment of the NCCN Guidelines, the introduction of enhanced oncology pathways, and enlarging our influence in coverage and public policy, among many other changes. I look forward to working with our members, our new CEO, Dr. Robert Carlson, and the wonderful, dedicated NCCN staff."

NSF Keeps Review Criteria but Changes Emphasis

Sharpening the Focus: Tips on Grant Proposal Preparation

By Chris Black, M.L.S., Assistant Director for Research Services, Office of Research

(One in a series of tips published in UMMS Research News about writing proposals.)

In 2013 NSF, advised by the National Science Board, has shifted emphasis equally between these criteria, and the PI needs to take the broader impacts criterion more seriously than before. The broader impacts criterion is required by Congress and motivated by the goal of investing in activities that will enhance the nation's position in a global economy. To that end, the PI must keep in mind NSF's goals regarding broader impacts, specifically:

increased economic competitiveness;

development of a globally competitive work force in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics;

increased participation of women and members of underrepresented minority groups in these fields;

improved education and teacher development in these fields in elementary and secondary schools;

improved undergraduate education in these fields;

increased partnerships between academe and industry;

increased public scientific literacy; and

increased national security.

NSF has removed the list of examples of broader impacts that it had on the web in an effort to foster creativity. Applicants should focus on ways to extend the influence of the proposed work to benefit society more broadly, and should strive for impact that is in proportion to the size of the project. Host a brainstorming session devoted exclusively to broader impacts. And remember, one idea that is always a good idea in NSF grants - hire a student!

The Business Development team of the Office of Research recently announced that Novo Nordisk has accepted three U-M pre-proposals for presentation at their Diabetes and Obesity Biologics Science Forum, which will take place in Chicago, April 16-17, 2013. Underscoring our deep strengths in metabolomics, diabetes, and obesity, these pre-proposals were selected by the pharma leader from a pool of over 150 submissions.

An opportunity for $250,000 to $500,0000 over a two-year period, these will be presented at the Forum and will be part of a competitive process, where U-M will be positioned against other proposals addressing non-clinical research related to new biologic therapeutics and targets amenable to biologic therapeutics or novel effects of known biologics in the field of Type 1 Diabetes and Type 2 Diabetes, including microvascular complications, and obesity.

Announcing the National Chronic Kidney Disease Surveillance System

March is designated National Kidney Month to raise awareness about the prevention and early detection of kidney disease. While chronic kidney disease (CKD) is common and a significant cause for suffering and death, awareness remains poor and no comprehensive system of tracking the condition was available until recently. The National CKD Surveillance System seeks to address this gap, as part of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) CKD Initiative.

CDC partnered with the University of Michigan (UM) in Ann Arbor, Michigan (based at the UM-Kidney Epidemiology and Cost Center with a subcontract to Arbor Research Collaborative for Health) and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), California, to build the National CKD Surveillance System.

To meet the need for information on CKD, the National CKD Surveillance System has now launched its public website. In honor of World Kidney Day, the website now features information about Acute Kidney Injury (AKI), the theme for this year's event. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) affects 10%-15% of the U.S. population. Progression to end stage renal disease (ESRD) and its complications lead to early death, disability, poor quality of life, and high economic costs.

Our mission in the Office of Research is to foster an environment of innovation and efficiency that serves the U-M Medical School community and supports biomedical science from insight to impact.